Western Australian state election, 1980

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 23 February 1980 to elect all 55 members to the Legislative Assembly and 16 members to the 32-seat Legislative Council. The Liberal-National Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir Charles Court, won a third term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Ron Davies.

The election produced very little in terms of the balance of the parties in Parliament—Labor won Kimberley from the Liberals in the Assembly, and a North Province seat in the Council, but lost two Council seats to the Liberals—one each in North Metropolitan and South-East Metropolitan. However, Labor received a substantial swing overall, increasing majorities in seats it already held, and reducing Liberal majorities in western suburban seats and pushing the key seats of Bunbury and Pilbara into marginal status. [cite journal |last= Watt |first= Edward David |year= 1980 |month= December |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1980 (Western Australia) |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 26 |issue= 3 |pages= 443-446 |issn=0004-9522] Despite a vigorous campaign against each other, the National Country and National parties, which had split in August 1978, failed to gain any seats off each other, each retaining three seats in the Assembly, and the former retaining one in the Council.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Australian elections/Title row
title = Western Australian state election, 23 February 1980
house = Legislative Assembly
series = Western Australian state election
back = 1977
forward = 1983
enrolled = 689,066ref label|cont|1|1
total_votes = 609,418
turnout % = 85.27%
turnout chg = –5.51%
informal = 21,449
informal % = 3.52%
informal chg = +0.34%Australian elections/Party summary
government = yes
party_id = Liberal
votes = 257,218
votes % = 43.75%
votes chg = –5.60%
seats = 26
seats chg = – 1Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Labor
votes = 270,165
votes % = 45.95%
votes chg = +1.73%
seats = 23
seats chg = + 1Australian elections/Party summary
government = yes
party_id = Nationals
party = National Countryref label|Nat|2|2
votes = 25,260
votes % = 4.30%
votes chg = +1.89%
seats = 3
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Nationals
party = Nationalref label|Nat|2|2
votes = 17,411
votes % = 2.96%
votes chg = +0.09%
seats = 3
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Democrats
votes = 11,513
votes % = 1.96%
votes chg = +1.96%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Progress
votes = 1,041
votes % = 0.18%
votes chg = –0.27%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Socialist Alliance
party = Socialist
votes = 1,527
votes % = 0.26%
votes chg = +0.26%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Independent
votes = 3,834
votes % = 0.65%
votes chg = +0.05%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Total row
total_votes = 587,969
total_seats = 55
winner_id = Liberal
winner = Liberal/NCPAustralian elections/2PP summary
party id 1 = Liberal
party 1 = Liberal/NCP
2pp votes 1 = 311,239
2pp % 1 = 50.97%
2pp chg 1 = –3.73%
party id 2 = Labor
2pp votes 2 = 299,347
2pp % 2 = 49.03%
2pp chg 2 = +3.73%

Notes::note label|cont|1|1 714,724 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but two seats were uncontested: the seat of Collie, held by Labor's Tom Jones and representing 8,854 electors, and East Melville, won by the Liberals' Antony Trethowan representing 16,804 electors, which was uncontested due to the Labor candidate's failure to submit their nomination on time.:note label|Nat|2|2 The National Country Party contested seven seats in the 1977 election, winning six of them and attaining 5.28% of the vote. The National Party split from the National Country Party on 10 August 1978, with the former contesting 8 seats and the latter 11.

Legislative Council

Australian elections/Title row
title = Western Australian state election, 23 February 1980
house = Legislative Council
staggered = yes
enrolled = 714,724
total_votes = 631,915
turnout % = 88.41%
turnout chg = –2.29%
informal = 27,692
informal % = 4.38%
informal chg = –0.03%Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Liberal
votes = 287,058
votes % = 47.51%
votes chg = –2.80%
seats = 10
seats held = 19Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Labor
votes = 270,538
votes % = 44.77%
votes chg = +2.82%
seats = 5
seats held = 9Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Nationals
party = National Countryref label|NatC|1|1
votes = 23,101
votes % = 3.82%
votes chg = +0.65%
seats = 1
seats held = 3Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Nationals
party = Nationalref label|NatC|1|1
votes = 20,704
votes % = 3.43%
votes chg = +1.04%
seats = 0
seats held = 1Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Progress
votes = 2,822
votes % = 0.47%
votes chg = +0.47%
seats = 0
seats held = 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Independent
votes = 0
votes % = 0.00%
votes chg = –2.18%
seats = 0
seats held = 0Australian elections/Total row
total_votes = 604,223
total_seats = 16
total_held = 32Australian elections/2PP summary
party id 1 = Liberal
party 1 = Liberal/NCP
2pp votes 1 = 316,398
2pp % 1 = 52.36%
2pp chg 1 = –3.26%
party id 2 = Labor
2pp votes 2 = 287,825
2pp % 2 = 47.64%
2pp chg 2 = +3.26%

Notes::note label|NatC|1|1 The National Country Party contested four seats in the 1977 election, winning three of them and attaining 5.56% of the vote. The National Party split from the National Country Party on 10 August 1978, with the former contesting 5 seats and the latter 4.

ee also

* Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1977–1980
* Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1980–1983

References